1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing taped components, and more particularly to an economical method and apparatus for rapidly processing strips of different taped axial lead components extending from separate supplies, including retaping of the components in a desired sequence on close preselected center-to-center spacings for subsequent use in a component inserting machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of axial lead electrical components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes and varistors, it is advantageous to join the leads of the components together by elongated adhesive tapes in the form of ladder-type strips, to facilitate storage and handling of the components. Accordingly, the leads of the components are made longer than that which is required for insertion in an electrical device, such as a printed circuit board, to permit taping of outer portions of the leads. The taped outer lead portions subsequently are severed from the remainder of the leads and discarded as scrap. Further, since a printed circuit board normally utilizes only a small number of each type or value of a plurality of different components, it frequently is desirable to sever the leads of the different components from their taped out lead portions, and then to retape the components in a desired sequence of component type and/or value on close preselected center-to-center spacings (e.g., 3/8inch) for subsequent use in a component inserting machine.
Heretofore, apparatus for this purpose has generally been of the type disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,284 issued Jan. 19, 1969 to A. W. Zemek, wherein strips of taped components are fed from separate supplies through a set of respective processing stations. In this type of apparatus, each strip of components is advanced through its respective processing station in a circular path by rotatable gear-driven sprockets having peripheral notches for drivingly engaging the spaced leads of the components. More recently, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,041, issued May 1, 1973 to A. W. Zemek et al., has disclosed an axial lead dispenser head in which a strip of taped components is initially advanced linearly through the head by an oscillating crank shaft and connecting link drive arrangement. The components then feed along an arcuate path and the component leads are cut to length by rotary oscillating cutting blades. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,026, issued Apr. 15, 1975 to M. D. Snyder et al., which is directed to an electrical component sequencing and retaping machine, discloses the cutting of scrap tapes containing outer lead portions into small segments after the component leads have been cut from the tapes.
In prior art axial component sequencing apparatus, as a strip of the taped components is advanced through each processing station, the leads of the components are severed to equal lengths from outer taped portions of the leads, and the components then are deposited on a continuous conveyor for subsequent retaping of the severed leads. In one type of arrangement for this purpose, the conveyor is indexed beneath the processing stations and the stations are selectively energized to deposit the components onto the conveyor so that as the conveyor leaves the processing stations the components are arranged on the conveyor in a desired sequence and the above-mentioned closely spaced center-to-center relationship for retaping of the component leads. In this type of arrangement, since prior known processing stations have been of significantly greater side-to-side thickness than the desired close spacing of the components for retaping, a minimum of 5 to 6 indexes of the conveyor are required before all positions on the conveyor can be filled.
An alternative component sequencing arrangement which has been utilized involves selectively dispensing the components from the processing stations onto a continuously driven first conveyor "on the fly," and subsequently discharging the components from the first conveyor into a gathering or "bunching" device, which then feeds the components onto a second conveyor in the desired closely spaced relationship for retaping. In another similar known system utilizing a continuously operating conveyor, the components are fed directly into a retaping device which gathers them into the desired closely spaced relationship for retaping, with testing of the components being accomplished after they have been retaped, thus requiring cutting of the tapes to remove a defective component, and then the splicing of a new component into the retaped strip in its place.
Accordingly, the purpose of the subject invention is to provide a new and improved compact system for rapidly processing taped electrical components in an economical and efficient manner as compared to prior known systems for this purpose.